MEPEI Talks: the Election of New President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Note by H.E. Dr. Seyed Hossein SADAT MEIDANI on the Election of New President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

On 30th July 2024, Mr. PEZESHKIAN sworn in and officially took the office as the new president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this note, I would like to address the main directions of Iran’s foreign policy, the future of relations between Iran and the European Union, as well as Iran’s activity at the regional level, in the context of official assuming the presidency mandate by H.E. Mr. Masoud PEZESHKIAN, the New President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Presidential Election

Few weeks ago, on 5^th July 2024, Mr. PEZESHKIAN was chosen as the President in a transparent, competitive and democratic election in which about 30 million Iranians participated. This presidential election was held earlier than the scheduled time, due to sudden demise of the late President Ebrahim RAISI. The Constitution of Iran stipulates that in case of a sudden demise of the President, a “Council, consisting of the Speaker of the Parliament, head of the judiciary, and the first deputy of the President, is obliged to arrange for a new President to be elected within a maximum period of fifty days.”.

While some perceived this sudden loss of president as creating a leadership vacuum and potential uncertainty for Iran’s future, both domestically and internationally, such views underestimated the stability and resilience of Iran’s political system. The immediate assumption of presidential duties by First Vice President, in accordance with the Iranian Constitution, ensured a seamless and effective transition of power in a very democratic way which was unbelievable. It took so much tireless efforts to hold a presidential election in just 50 days and considering this short period, it was also a very difficult task for candidates to campaign. Nevertheless, this swift and orderly change in leadership highlights the capabilities and stability of Iran’s governance framework which is deeply rooted in democratic participation and support of Iranian nation.

The election held on June 28^th, 2024, was conducted in two rounds, demonstrating Iran’s robust democratic structure and stability during transitions of power. Approximately 30 million people came to polling stations. Mr. PEZESHKIAN won the election with a solid margin of 2.7 million votes.

Amidst regional turbulence, Iran’s democratic political system has demonstrated remarkable stability by conducting elections in a competitive, peaceful, and orderly manner. Therefore, many countries are now considering expanding their relations with Iran, presenting a strategic opportunity for further cooperation and engagement.

The question is what would be the impact of election of President PEZESHKIAN on Iran’s foreign policy. It is a known fact that he is attributed to the so-called “reformist group” and his approach toward international relations would be different than the administration of Late President RAISI. However, we should bear in mind that principles of foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not change totally with the change of administrations. Iran Foreign policy has its roots in Iran Constitution.

Principles of Iran’s Foreign Policy

Chapter 10 of Iran’s constitution indicates the principle of foreign policy. The Constitution stipulates that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has the duty of formulating its general policies with a view to cultivating the friendship and unity of all Muslim peoples, and it must constantly strive to bring about the political, economic, and cultural unity of the Islamic world.

Or, Article 152 of the Constitution states that the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based upon the rejection of all forms of domination, both the exertion of it and submission to it, the preservation of the independence of the country in all respects and its territorial integrity, the defense of the rights of all Muslims, non-alignment with respect to the hegemonist superpowers, and the maintenance of mutually peaceful relations with all non-belligerent States.

Article 154 states that the Islamic Republic of Iran has as its ideal human felicity throughout human society, and considers the attainment of independence, freedom, and rule of justice and truth to be the right of all people of the world. Accordingly, while painstakingly refraining from all forms of interference in the internal affairs of other nations, it supports the just struggles of the mustad’afun (suppressed) against the mustakbirun (suppressor) in every corner of the globe.

Last but not the least; Iran’s foreign policy should be implemented based on tree pillars of dignity, wisdom, and expediency. Therefore, under the new government, we will continue to uphold these values.

Policies of the New Government in Iran

Although the principles of Iran Foreign Policy are clear, each government can have its own approach to execution of foreign policy and also contribute in shaping the policy. President is the highest official of Iran after the Supreme Leader and he has many powers regarding the foreign policy. He is the president of Iran’s national security council which adopt decisions about foreign policy. Also, signature of international agreement and appointment of ambassadors is among its powers.

President PEZESHKIAN ran for office on a platform of reform, fostering national unity, and constructive engagement with the world. He earned the trust of his compatriots, including young women and men. He deeply values their trust and is committed to cultivating consensus, both domestically and internationally, to uphold the promises made during his campaign.

The new administration is guided by a commitment to preserving Iran’s national dignity and international stature under all circumstances. Mr. PEZESHKIAN has promised that he will pursue an opportunity-driven policy, creating balance in relations with all countries, consistent with our national interests, economic development, and the requirements of regional and global peace and security. He welcomes sincere efforts to alleviate tensions and will reciprocate good-faith actions. He said in his inauguration speech that he will pursue constructive engagement in international relations and he also called on mutual respect bilateral relations with western governments.

I would like to elaborate his program regarding Iran’s foreign policy.

Regional and International Relations

The new government will prioritize strengthening relations with Iran neighbors, championing the establishment of a “strong region” rather than one where a single country pursues hegemony. He believes that neighboring and brotherly nations should not waste valuable resources on erosive competitions, arms races, or unwarranted containment of each other. Instead, the countries of the region aim to create an environment where our resources can be devoted to regional progress and development for the benefit of all.

In this context, the administration of President PEZESHKIAN look forward to cooperating with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and regional organizations to deepen the economic ties, strengthen trade relations, promote joint-venture investments, tackle common challenges, and move towards establishing a regional framework for dialogue, confidence-building, and development.

Global Cooperation

As nations endowed with abundant resources and shared traditions rooted in peaceful Islamic teachings, the new administration will unite and rely on the power of logic rather than the logic of power. By leveraging Iran’s normative influence, Iran can play an important role in the emerging post-polar global order by promoting peace, creating an environment conducive to sustainable development, fostering dialogue, and dispelling Islamophobia. Iran is prepared to contribute its fair share in this regard.

Relations with Europe and the United States

Iran’s relations with Europe have ups and downs. Following the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) in May 2018, European countries made commitments to Iran to try to salvage the agreement and mitigate the impact of the US’s unlawful and unilateral sanctions on Iran economy. However, these commitments have not been fulfilled. Despite these backgrounds, the new government is prepared to engage in constructive dialogue with European countries to set the relations on the right path, based on principles of mutual respect and equal footing. There are numerous areas of cooperation that Iran and Europe can explore for mutual benefit.

I would like to emphasis that the sanction-lifting as stipulated in the JCPOA is very important. In this respect, I can refer to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Ms. Alena Douhan of August 2022 (A/HRC/51/33/Add.1) who had an official country visit to Iran from 7 to 18 May 2022 to examine the impact of unilateral sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights in the country, and the right to development. She concluded that sanctions, secondary sanctions and different forms of over-compliance have a serious negative impact on the country’s economy, leading to serious violations of human rights and humanitarian challenges, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. She concludes that the use of unilateral sanctions, secondary sanctions and over-compliance has an overall adverse effect on the broad spectrum of human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural, including the right to life and the right to development. She recommends lifting unilateral sanctions, to avoid de-risking policies and over-compliance in accordance with international legal norms and the due diligence rule and called on international community and humanitarian actors to assist the Government of Iran in its efforts to mitigate the adverse humanitarian impact of unilateral coercive measures.

She said delivery of medicines and medical equipment to Iran was “severely undermined” by the effects of sanctions on finance, trade, shipping, insurance and over-compliance on the part of foreign businesses and suppliers. “These constitute serious impediments to the enjoyment of the right to the highest attainable standard of health by all Iranians.”

The United States and EU needs to recognize that Iran does not—and will not—respond to pressure. Iran entered the JCPOA in 2015 in good faith and fully met its obligations till 2019, but the US unlawfully withdrew from the agreement, causing significant damage to Iran’s economy and suffering for Iranian people. The US and its Western allies missed a historic opportunity to reduce and manage tensions, instead undermining the Non-Proliferation Treaty by fabricating a crisis regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program while supporting the nuclear weapons of Israel.

Relations with China and Russia

China and Russia have consistently stood by Iran during challenging times. The 25-year roadmap with China represents a significant milestone towards establishing a mutually beneficial “comprehensive strategic partnership.” The new administration will be collaborating more extensively with Beijing. In 2023, China played a pivotal role in facilitating the normalization of Iran relations with Saudi Arabia, showcasing its constructive vision and forward-thinking approach to international affairs.

Russia remains a valued strategic ally and neighbor to Iran and the new administration is also committed to expanding and enhancing the cooperation. President Pezeshkian has declared that Iran will strive for peace for the people of Russia and Ukraine and stand prepared to support initiatives aimed at achieving this objective. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Russia will be prioritized, particularly within frameworks such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Palestine

In 1979, following the Revolution, Iran severed ties with two apartheid regimes, Israel and South Africa, motivated by respect for international law and fundamental human rights. Israel remains an apartheid regime to this day, now adding genocide to a record marred by occupation, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, settlement-building, nuclear weapons possession, illegal annexation, and aggression against its neighbors.

As a first measure, the new administration will urge the neighboring Arab countries to collaborate and utilize all political and diplomatic leverage to prioritize achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Iran would like to work diligently with Arab countries to end the prolonged occupation that has devastated the lives of four generations of Palestinians. All states have a binding duty under the 1948 Genocide Convention to take measures to prevent genocide, not to reward it through normalization of relations with the perpetrators.

Recently, on 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice reaffirmed Iran’s views towards Israel in its advisory opinion in paragraph 273-279, the Legal consequences for other States and declared that:

• All States must co-operate with the United Nations to put into effect modalities required to ensure an end to Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the full realization of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination
• All States under obligation not to legally recognize the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
• Obligation not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
• Obligation to distinguish in dealings with Israel between the territory of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Global South and Latin America

Recognizing the evolving global landscape, the new administration of Iran is committed to fostering mutually beneficial relations with emerging international players in the Global South, especially with African nations. Iran aims to enhance collaborative efforts and strengthen partnerships for the mutual benefit of all involved.

Iran’s relations with Latin America are well-established and will be closely maintained and deepened to foster development, dialogue, and cooperation in all fields. There is significant potential for cooperation between Iran and the countries of Latin America, and we look forward to further strengthening our ties.

Conclusion

Under the new government, Iran stands ready to embrace opportunities for cooperation including with Europe and of course Romania, based on mutual respect, while firmly upholding our principles and values. We are committed to fostering peace, stability, and prosperity for our nation and the world. Nevertheless, considering the recent acts of terrorism and assassination of Mr. HANIYEH, the Israeli criminal regime appears to be trying to sabotage the policies and plans of the new government in Iran for engagement with other countries.

 

Disclaimer. The views and opinions expressed in this analysis are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MEPEI. Any content provided by our author is of his opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.